But it's a public highway!

[eddiemee]

A funny conversation I had with a colleague yesterday as we were in a car about to overtake two horses:

Colleague: Grrr, why do they have to ride two abreast and block the road:

Other colleague: It's perfectly legal.

Colleague: Yeah, but annoying. If they keep riding like that, one day I'll drive into the back of them. It's like when cyclists ride side-by-side and take up the entire road.

Me: That's perfectly legal too. Out of courtesy they might move to single file when they see/hear you, provided it is safe. Otherwise, what's the problem with waiting to overtake them when the road is clear, just like you would a tractor or slow-moving car?

Colleague: But it's a public highway!

Me: Yes, it is. For use by the public, be they in cars, on horses, bikes or on foot.

Colleague: <silence>


It was a fairly good-natured conversation, but I did come out of it smiling on the inside. Sometimes you don't have to even try to win the argument, you just let the other person defeat themselves with their own logic.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

It is strange how these conversations go. I had a driver come up from behind, cut me up and force me to the kerb at a pinch point, so sounded my horn. When we spoke at the lights, he said at one point "the roads are for us all to share!". I don't think he had seen the irony even after we parted company.

I had a conversation with a relative where she was arguing that cycles shouldn't be on the road. At one point she said that the roads just aren't wide enough. I said that my vehicle is less than 2 feet wide, and asked how wide hers is. Didn't get an answer to that.

 

[Jonathing]

Clearly he's the public but people who aren't him don't count.

It's an easy mind set to fall into I suppose, that of "I use this facility therefore it's only here for me and those like me"

 

[Andrew_P]

Off at a tangent, the road my work is in has a Horse riding school, and I often wish motorists would show the same respect for my life on a bike as they do the the people riding the horse.

Not seen one incident of a motorist close passing and revving up they always pass wide and slow.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

A horse could damage a car, unlikely a cyclist would (I'm sure that is the thought process of most drivers)

Off at a tangent, the road my work is in has a Horse riding school, and I often wish motorists would show the same respect for my life on a bike as they do the the people riding the horse.

Not seen one incident of a motorist close passing and revving up they always pass wide and slow.

 

[mickle]

Off at a tangent, the road my work is in has a Horse riding school, and I often wish motorists would show the same respect for my life on a bike as they do the the people riding the horse.

Not seen one incident of a motorist close passing and revving up they always pass wide and slow.

Abso*******lutely.

 

[mickle]

(I suspect that the reason most people avoid driving into cyclists is simply that it would involve insurance paper work and other inconvenience and has sweet eff all to do with our lives and limbs)

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Agreed.

(I suspect that the reason most people avoid driving into cyclists is simply that it would involve insurance paper work and other inconvenience and has sweet eff all to do with our lives and limbs)

 

[SportMonkey]

A horse could damage a car, unlikely a cyclist would (I'm sure that is the thought process of most drivers)

I've f**ked up one cars front bumper and left a good old dent in the rear c-pillar. OK, I've written off one bike, and pretty much written off another and got a few cuts and bruises, but it's not bad odds.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Granted.I guess I should have said serious damage lol. There are a few cars driving around that have my first mark on them as well

I've f**ked up one cars front bumper and left a good old dent in the rear c-pillar. OK, I've written off one bike, and pretty much written off another and got a few cuts and bruises, but it's not bad odds.

 

[thomas]

(I suspect that the reason most people avoid driving into cyclists is simply that it would involve insurance paper work and other inconvenience and has sweet eff all to do with our lives and limbs)

Agreed.

I suspect most people do it because they're in the majority percentage of drivers who aren't complete idiots, who very well may make a mistake wouldn't actively go out to hurt anyone on the road.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I had my meaning translator switched on when I replied. I took Most People to mean most people who would otherwise......

I suspect most people do it because they're in the majority percentage of drivers who aren't complete idiots, who very well may make a mistake wouldn't actively go out to hurt anyone on the road.

 

[HLaB]

Off at a tangent, the road my work is in has a Horse riding school, and I often wish motorists would show the same respect for my life on a bike as they do the the people riding the horse.

Not seen one incident of a motorist close passing and revving up they always pass wide and slow.

Another tangent, I had my worse pass in a long time yesterday by a large Horseboxvan. I've no idea if it was full or not but I would have thought they would understand better about passing vulnerable road users.

 

[GrasB]

A horse could damage write off a car, unlikely a cyclist would (I'm sure that is the thought process of most drivers)

Fixed the thought for you

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Cheers

Fixed the thought for you